[Ashley-n-D]

between Fostering and foster adopting ? Liscensing wise ? i ask because at this time im not trying to adopt but if i raised a child for a signicant period of time and then the child came up for adoption i wouldnt want to see them get adopted into another family. must you be fost adopt liscensed to be selected for your foster children in the event of tpr?

[DianeS]

This is going to depend on your state and your agency. But I can tell you how it is where I live.

Here, the difference between being approved to foster and approved to adopt is only two classes. You get approved to foster, then take those two classes, and yoru status is changed from foster, to foster and/or adopt.

They're pretty tedious classes, about adoption assistance, medicaid transferral, how to access services for a special needs child after adoption (etc) and some people don't choose to take them, not even "just in case". So they are foster-only families.

Also here, you do have to be approved to adopt before you can be matchd with children in need of an adoptive home. Otherwise the state would be placing childrn into homes (or keeping them in homes) and then just sitting around twiddling their thumbs until the families got around to getting the extra licensing requirements finished. That would put childrens' lives on hold, because there is always the possibility the families would never get around to doing it. So children who are waiting for adoption are only placed with parents approved to adopt. Even if the children are already in the home, once they are ready to be moved to an adoptive placement, the foster parents can only keep them if they are licensed as an adoptive placement.

Different areas hande it differently. But if you are at all considering keeping a child who may someday be placed with you and someday later become available for adoption, then I recommend you get approved fr adoption as soon as possible. You never know what will happen in any foster child's case, and you never know what speed it will happen at. Better safe than sorry.

[CaddoRose]

There were not any additional classes for us in Texas. Here, foster parents are offered the chance to adopt first if the child is TPR'd. That is a long, long road and most children have been with their foster families over a year before the bio's rights are terminated, so that family becomes the adoptive family in most circumstances. It's better to have the license than not and if you don't want to adopt a particular child, you can say so.

[Ashley-n-D]

yeah thank you i think i will get it whether i ever use it or not i would hate to see a child have to move because i hadn't taken a few classes or whatever. im not nesscessarily looking to adopt and would probably perfer several short term placements but i know myself and i could never turn away a child that needed me not after that long

[UTbrie]

You dont' have to be licensed as Foster/adopt to adopt a foster child...but it is one less step if you DO decide to do that. I am in the same boat as you....I really don't have any intention to adopt....but I couldn't rule it out if I had a long term placement and loved that child like my own....I just did foster/adopt thinking "JUST IN CASE"....you really have nothing to lose by doing the extra few steps. It doesn't obligate you to anything.

[laceyc]

In Ok the classes are the same and if you have a child in your home as foster and they become available for adoption then the foster parents are the first choice.

[.Ruby.]

Originally Posted by laceyc

In Ok the classes are the same and if you have a child in your home as foster and they become available for adoption then the foster parents are the first choice.

ditto...this is how it is in KS as well.